Paper-feed mechanism for printing-presses.



J.E.TUOKER. PAPER FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PR'BSSES.

APPLICATION. FILED MAR. 18, 1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES WW Alfornry J. E. TUGKER. PAPER FEED MECHANISM FORPRINTING PBES SES.

APPLIOATION-IILED MAR. 18, 1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

L T B E H S s T E B H s 2 a UV VE/VTOR WITNESSES A Home UNITED STATESPATENT OFFIC JUNIUS EDGAR TUCKER, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 TUCKER FEEDER COMPANY, OF AUGUSTA, MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

Application filed. March 18, 1907. Serial No. 362,953.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUNIUs E. TUCKER, of Memphis, in the county ofShelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Feed Mechanism for Printing-Presses; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in paper feeding mechanism forprinting presses, the object of the invention being to provide improvedmechanism .for feeding the paper sheets to the tapes for carrying thesheets to the platen, improved means for adjusting the pressure of thesheet feeding fingers, and improved mechanism for moving the feedingrolls to grasp a sheet presented thereto.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevationillustrating my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views showingthe connection of the rod 29 with the shaft 8; Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail view showing the yielding connection between the rod-29 andupright 27 Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View showing the feed rollers 9,10, guide plate 4, and trip devices 44-45, and Fig. 6 is a detail viewshowing the feed rollers.

The feeding mechanism is applied to a printing press, and mounted on theframe thereof. For sake of clearness, I have not shown the various partsof the press frame in the drawing but have shown the relation of thefeeding mechanism to the platen 1 of the press.

A table 2 is provided for the reception of a pile of paper sheets to befed to the platen. This table may be fed u wardly by means of anyapproved devices {hot shown), and at one side of the table, a guide 3 islocated said guide being provided at its upper end with an inclinedplate 4 to direct the sheets from the pile to feed rollers hereinafterdescribed.

A gear 5 is mounted on the frame of the press and receives motion from agear 6 of the press. The gear 5 transmits motion to a larger gear 7secured to a shaft 8 located above the gear 5. Two feed rollers 9, 10are dlsposed to receive paper sheets directed thereto from the pile ofsheets by the inclined plate 4. The feed rollers 9, 10 are provided withintermeshing pinions 11, 12, the teeth of which are of sufficient lengthto permit one of said feed rollers to have a slight movement toward andaway from the other. Motion is transmitted to the feed rollers 9, 10 bymeans of a pinion 13 interposed between the pinion 11 and the gear 5.The upper feed roller 10 is mounted in a bracket 14 pivoted at 15 andprovided with an arm 16 having a roller 17 at its free upper end. Thelarge gear 7 is provided with a cam 18 which cooperates with the rolleron arm 16 and causes the upper feed roller 10 to be pressed downwardlyafter a paper sheet has entered between the feed rollers and thus insurethe proper forward feeding of the sheet. When a sheet shall have passedbetween the feed rollers, it will be delivered to feeding tapes 19, 20by which the sheet will be carried to suitable guide devices (not shown)for directing it to position on the platen 1 of the press. The feedingtapes 19 pass over the feed roller 10 and a roller 21 disposed over theplaten 1, and the lower feeding tapes pass over the lower feed roller 9and a roller 22 disposed under the roller 21.

The feeding tapes are guided by idlers 23 carried by suitable brackets24.

A frame 25 is disposed horizontally near the top of the frame work ofthe press and over the table on which the pile of paper sheets are to belocated. Beneath the frame 25, a horizontal bar 26 is located andprovided at its ends with upright arms 2728 attached at their upper endsto the frame 25. The bar 26 is so located as to be disposed acomparatively short distance above the top of the pile of sheets on thetable 2, and be tween the frame 25 and bar 26, a horizontalreciprocating rod 29 is located. One end of this rod is provided with acircular enlargement 30 mounted upon an eccentric 31 on the shaft 8, soas to cause the rotation of said shaft to impart a reciprocating motionto the rod 29. Means for feeding the paper sheets from the pile ofsheets are connected with the rod 29 (as hereinafter described) andtherefore it is desirable that provision be made for adjustment of thethrow of said rod. To accomplish this, the

eccentric 31 is provided with an elongated slot 32 through which theshaft 8 passes and adjusting screws 33-83 are provided for retaining thecam on the shaft in any position to which it may be adjusted. The arm 27at one end of the bar 26 is provided with a bearing or rest 34 for therod 29, but when the feed devices carried by this rod are in position tofeed a paper sheet, the rod 29 will be elevated somewhat above thebearing or rest 84. It is desirable however, that means be provided forregulating the pressure of the said feed devices upon the sheets on thepile of sheets. For this purpose, a spring-pressed bar 35 is mounted insuitable guides on the arm 27, and a screw 36 is provided for adjustingthe tension of the same.

It now remains to describe the construction of the devices abovereferred to for feeding the sheets of paper from the pile of sheets.

A bracket 37 is secured. to the rod 29, at a point intermediate the endsof the latter and provided in its lower end with a socket for thereception of the shank of a scraper finger 38, adapted to engage the topsheet on the pile and feed it forwardly to the feed rollers 9, 10 assaid finger is moved forwardly by the motion of the rod 29. hen thepaper sheet enters between the feed rollers, the operation of thescraper finger on this sheet should stop. For accomplishing thisautomatically, the devices now to be described are employed.

A cam block 39 is pivoted at 40 to the lower part of bracket 37 andprojects below said bracket. The cam block is weight-- ed at ll and atthe opposite side of its pivotal support, said cam block is providedwith a laterally projecting pin 42. A lever 43 is pivotally attached tothe arm 28, and the long arm of this lever rests upon the pin d2 of camblock 39. The short arm of the lever 43 is provided with a detent Hwhich engages a detent 45, the latter being pivoted between its ends toan arm 46 projecting from one end of the bar 26. The lower arm of thedetent l5 projects across the path of a paper sheet entering between thefeed rollers 9, 10. To enable this detent to be so located that it willbe engaged by a paper sheet at the same time that the feed rollersreceive the sheet, the upper feed roller 10 is provided with aperipheral groove 47. Now it will be observed that when the scraper 38has fed a sheet from the pile to the feed 1 l l l 1 upon the pin 42,will overbalance the weighted portion of the cam blocks 39 and cause thelatter to turn and engage the horizontal bar 26. As the rod and scraperlinger which it actuates continue to move forwardly, the cam block 39will roll on the horizontal bar 26 and thus cause the parts which carrythe scraper linger to rise and the scraper to leave the paper sheet,thus arresting any further feeding of the latter by the scraper. Duringthe return movement of the rod 29 and the parts carried thereby, the camblock 39 will roll in the reverse direction, causing the en agement ofthe pin 4-2 with lever 43 to raise the latter and reset the detentsetl4,-5. The parts are then in position to feed the next sheet from thepile to the feed rollers.

It will be understood that a series of scraping fingers may be providedif desired.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction ofmy invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise detailsherein set forth.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a feeding mechanism, the combinas tion with a stationary bar, arod disposed above said bar, and means for reciprocating said rod, of abracket secured to the rod, a scraper finger carried by said bracket, anelongated cam block pivotally supported by said bracket and weighted atone side of its pivotal support, means controlled by a paper sheet forholding said cam block out of contact with the stationary bar and forreleasing said cam block to permit it to engage said stationary barduring a portion of the travel of the rod and scraper finger to raisethe latter.

2. In a feeding mechanism, the combination with av frame, a stationarybar secured to said frame, and a shaft, of a slotted eccentric mountedon said. shaft, screws for adjusting the eccentric relatively to theshaft, a rod connected with said eccentric, a scraper finger carried bysaid rod, and a cam block cooperating with said finger and thestationary bar to raise said finger and the reciprocating rod during aportion of the travel of the same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JUNIUS EDGAR TUCKER.

Witnesses JAMES Trroams Fnmrsox. HUGH BARCLAY Vnrru.

